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May 15, 2018, 07:00am

What Marketers Can Learn From The Brands That Consumers Love (And Don't)

Quick: Which browser do you use? What’s your go-to place for coffee? Which apps do you tap almost on reflex? Over the past two decades, the rapid digitization of our lives dictates how we access information, where we eat, shop, sleep and socialize. But the rise of e-commerce brought with it a plethora of options that are simply overwhelming people today. To wrest control of their lives, Americans are racing to routines — simplifying their choices by sticking with brands and platforms that are most convenient, frictionless and useful.

We observed this in our annual Reputation Quotient survey, which measures the reputations of the 100 most visible companies in America based on the public's top-of-mind awareness of companies that either faltered or excelled.

This year, Amazon remained at No. 1 while technology giants Google and Apple fell precipitously. Google was a top 10 company for a decade but slumped to No. 28 this year, and Apple dropped to No. 29 from its previous position of No. 5. It's likely that Apple and Google's decline was caused, in part, by not having released as many hyped-up products as in past years.

Apple and Google’s declining reputation, in contrast to Amazon, reveals a broader trend of Americans rushing to companies that create the greatest experience and deliver lasting value. Because this study is based on public sentiment (rather than the opinion of elites), this is a view of corporate reputation by the people who actually buy and use their products and services. In Amazon’s case, two-hour delivery of groceries via Prime offered stronger utility than a distant promise of AI and autonomous driving or a $1,000 iPhone.

And when it comes to brand experience, Apple and Google are falling short, according to the public. What was once a novelty for Apple customers to see a new iPhone in store, has become a frustrating experience of crowds. Some have even said Apple stores have become a hell on earth. And while Google earned plenty of acclaim for the Pixel phone, it only sold 3.9 million in 2017, which is less than a week’s worth of iPhone sales.

The differentiation here is that Amazon has simply integrated itself into people’s daily lives and is exceeding expectations in the here and now. Brands that genuinely understand (and care about) the values, attitudes and behaviors of their customers can better design products and services around points of value that cater to consumers in a meaningful way.

Beyond a company’s products and services, consumers are increasingly interested in what a company stands for and how it engages with society and the community, which points to another trend this year: the rise of local brands. Fifteen years ago, the top 10 companies were all large multinationals. This year, the top 10 is filled with local supermarket chains like Wegmans (No. 2), H-E-B (No. 6), Publix (No. 8) and Aldi (No. 10). In fact, companies centered on homes and communities — from Netflix to Costco — were all top performers. Today, the American public has more visibility into the business practices and values of leading companies, meaning the days where companies can depend on their size for success are long gone. In this new world, consumers desire brands that act small, share their values and provide a sense of comfort and relief in a world filled with chaos, overstimulation and breaking news cycles that seem to never rest.

This points to the new rule for corporate reputation: It’s not what a company says but what it does. Whether it’s the store in your backyard or the digital mall that's just a click away, we are gravitating to the convenient, useful and familiar. In a world of clutter and chaos, our habits essentially become our brand preferences. We see it in the decline of app downloads as consumers stick with apps they know. And it’s happening across the board. We have a default browser, news reading app, supermarket, online clothing store and restaurant on Seamless. For perspective, Google Play is home to over 2 million apps. The iTunes App Store is home to more than 1.5 million. But the number of apps that are actually used is quite small. According to a study, about one in four users abandon an app after only using it once.

Convenience as a business ideal prioritizes efficiency and ease. The twist here is to offer it in such a powerful way that the old model seems analog. (Wi-Fi at 30,000 feet was science fiction a decade ago and now it’s an entitlement.) According to Twitter co-founder, Evan Williams, convenience decides everything. “We often think of the internet enables you to do new things,” he said. “But people just want to do the same things they’ve always done.”

Brands can provide convenience to consumers by thinking holistically and proactively about consumers' lifestyles and make their products and services accessible during their routines, different life stages and future milestone moments. And companies that understand their customers' values, behaviors and consistent needs should use this intel to create bespoke brand experiences that connect with consumers in a meaningful way.

Amazon continues to lead because convenience is not only an ideal, it is, as The Wharton School’s Katja Seim points out, their “core product.” Consumers are increasingly becoming accustomed to the Amazon way of shopping, and companies would do well to embrace that model. Distinguishing your brand lies in urgent modern relevance and habituation, in connecting tangible value with better experiences and efficacy.